This invention relates generally to ovens and, more particularly, to an oven operable in speedcooking, microwave, and convection/bake modes.
Ovens typically are either, for example, microwave, radiant, or thermal/convection cooking type ovens. For example, a microwave oven includes a magnetron for generating RF energy used to cook food in an oven cooking cavity. Although microwave ovens cook food more quickly than radiant or thermal/convection ovens, microwave ovens do not brown the food. Microwave ovens therefore typically are not used to cook as wide a variety of foods as radiant or thermal/convection ovens.
Radiant cooking ovens include an energy source such as lamps which generate light energy used to cook the food. Radiant ovens brown the food and generally can be used to cook a wider variety of foods than microwave ovens. Radiant ovens, however, cook many foods slower than microwave ovens.
In thermal/convection ovens, the food is cooked by the air in the cooking cavity, which is heated by a heat source. Standard thermal ovens do not have a fan to circulate the hot air in the cooking cavity. Convection ovens use the same heat source as a standard thermal oven, but add a fan to increase cooking efficiency by circulating the hot air around the food. Thermal/convection ovens cook the widest variety of foods. Such ovens, however, do not cook as fast as radiant or microwave ovens.
One way to achieve speedcooking in an oven is to include both microwave and radiant energy sources. The combination of microwave and radiant energy sources facilitates fast cooking of foods. In addition, and as compared to microwave only cooking, a combination of microwave and radiant energy sources can cook a wider variety of foods.
While speedcooking ovens are versatile and cook food quickly, in at least one known speedcooking oven, the radiant energy sources are thermally separated from the cooking cavity. Waste heat from the radiant energy sources is directed out of the oven via air flow paths. In addition, such known speedcooking oven is rated for operation at 240 volts. The 240 volt rating is required in order to simultaneously operate the radiant and microwave energy sources.